Charles v



(No Model.)

0. V. KNOWLES. BLEOTRIGAL INDICATOR FOR RUDDERS.

No. 495,047. Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT DEFICE.

CHARLES V. KNOIVLES, OF SOMERVILLE, NEYV JERSEY, ASSIGN OR TO EDWIN HOLMES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

E LECTRICAL INDICATOR FOR RUDDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,0 l7,

dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed February 16, 1892. Serial No. 421,679. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES V. KNOWLES, of Somerville, county of Somerset, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Indicators for Rudders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for indicating the position of a ships rudder and it consists of an indicator which maybe placed in any desired position on a vessel and having a connection with the rudder whereby the movements of the rudder will close an electric circuit and cause an indicator pointer to move over a dial to show the degree of angle of the rudder.

I will describe a device embodying my improvement and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an interior view of an indicator embodying my invention, showing the electric circuit in connection with a steering gear. Fig. 2 is a front View of the indicator. Fig. 3 is a detail of an escapement mechanism employed. Fig. 4 is a side view of circuit closer employed. Fig. 5 is a front view thereof. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6, 6, of Fig. 5.

Referring by letters and figures to the drawings, A designates the indicator case of any desired material having on its front a series of figures arranged in an arc of a circle a. The zero mark is in the center of an arc and the figures increase in value from the zero mark in opposite directions.

A A designate electro-motive devices or electro-magnets supported on brackets a, of insulating material, within the case A.

B and B show electro-motive devices arranged adjacent to and co-acting with the respective devices A A An armature A coacts with the electro motive device A B and an armature A coacts with the electro-motive devices A B These armatures are respectively pivoted near one end to a fixed portion of the case A, as at a and have a counterbalance, here shown as a weight at the outer end. The armature A has a link connection a with an escapement A and the armature A has a link connection a with an escapement A. Each escapement is fulcrumed at about its center on a shaft affixed to the base of the case A.

B B designate escapement wheels both rigidly mounted on a shaftb having bearings in u the case A, and extended outward through the front of the case where it is provided with a pointer B designed to move its end over the indicating marks a.

The escapement wheels B B have their teeth pitched in opposite directions, and each wheel co-acts with one of the escapements. As here shown the escapement A co-acts with the wheel B and the escapement A co-acts with the wheel B. Obviously when the elec' tro-motive device A is energized its armature will be drawn toward itand thus rock the escapement A which will move its wheel one half step and consequently move the pointer one half step in one direction. Upon de-energizing the electro-motive device A and energizing the electro motive device B the armature A will be drawn in the opposite direction and complete the one step of the escapement wheel and pointer. Oonversel y, when the electro-motive devices A B are energized and deenergized the armature A will be moved to cause the escapement A to move its wheel, which will cause the pointer to move in the opposite direction one step at a time, as before indicated.

The several electro-motive devices are energized through the movements of the vessels rudder operating to close an electric circuit in a manner which I will now explain.

0 designates a rudder head or post having the tiller 0 which, in this example, carries two series of metal contact points 0. The contact points of each series are arranged in the arc of a circle and correspond in number to the number of points on the face of the case A.

C C O C designate yielding contact strips. These contact strips are of resilient metal secured at one end to a hanger C depending from a portion of the vessel, directly above the path of the points 0. And 0 C C C designate contact strips also secured to the hanger C. These last named contact strips are of resilient metal, and are arranged within the contact strips C O C 0 respectively, so that the strip 0 may be moved into contact with the strip 0 the strip C with the strip 0 the strip 0 with the strip 0 and the strip 0 with the strip 0 A block D is fulcrumed to the hanger 0 between the projected ends of the contact strips C C and a block D is fulcrumed to the hanger between the projected ends of the contact strips (3 C The upper ends of these blocks D D, consist of insulating material, but I prefer the lower leads to the electro-motive device A From the contact strip 0 a wire 4 leads to the electro motive device B A wire 5 connects the several electro-motive devices with one pole of a source of electricity or batteryE and from 1 the other pole of the battery a wire 6 leads to points carried by the rudder for closinga cirthe several contact strips 0 C C 0 By the construction described it will be seen that when the tiller 0 is moved in one direc-; tion, say in the direction indicated by the ar-% row, a projection c on the segment F will tilt;

the block D and cause it to close the circuit through the contact strips 0 0 and energize This willdratv the electro-motive devices A the armature A down and operate the pointer B one half point. When the projection c on the segment F shall have passed the block D a projection c on the segment F will tilt the block D and cause it to close th circuit through the contacts C 0 and energize the electro-motive device B to draw the armature A upward and complete the movement of the pointer 13*. Of course a continued movement of the tiller in the same direction will successively energize and de-energize the electromotive devices A B and move the pointer and when the tiller is moved in the other direction, the opposite electro-motive devices will operate the pointer.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a vessels rudder, of a source of electricity, electro-motive devices yielding contact strips arranged adjacent to the rudder head or tiller, wires between said contact strips and the electro m0- tive devices, projections carried by the rudder head or tiller adapted to close a circuit between contact strips, and a wire between certain of the strips and one pole of the source of electricity and a wire leading from the other pole thereof to the electro-motive, de-

vices, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a vessels rudder, of a source of electricity, two sets of electromotive devices, a pointer or indicator, connections between the source of electricity and the electro-motive devices, a series of contact cuit through one set of electro-magnets to move the pointer or index in one direction and another series of contact points carried by the rudder for closing acircuit through the other set of electro-motive devices to move the pointer or indicator in the opposite direction, substantially as specified.

3. In an indicator for a ships rudder, the combination with the indicator and the electrical connections, of the circuit closer comprising the resilient contact strips, the tilting 7 5 blocks and the projections carried by a portion of the ships rudder, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES V. KNOWVLES.

Witnesses:

O. R. FERGUSON, ANTHONY GREF. 

